Is the type of auditory memory comparing two sounds over time called echoic memory or if not, what type of memory is that? I read that echoic memory lasts 2-5 seconds. But I'm not sure if that is the same thing as comparing adjacent sounds in time.

Is the type of auditory memory comparing two sounds over time called echoic memory or if not, what type of memory is that? I read that echoic memory lasts 2-5 seconds. But I'm not sure if that is the same thing as comparing adjacent sounds in time.

Can anyone clarify this?

Never heard the term before, but clearly it is widely accepted in the study of human perception.

Using http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echoic_memory as my guide, I would say that echoic memory refers to something that has less detail and longer duration than the kind of memory involved with hearing subtle differences near the threshold of hearing.

Using http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echoic_memory as my guide, I would say that echoic memory refers to something that has less detail and longer duration than the kind of memory involved with hearing subtle differences near the threshold of hearing.

According to Carrol, Psychology of Language 4th edition, the auditory sensory store, which temporarily retains the impressions "in a raw, unanalyzed form", lasts for about 4 seconds. So that seems to suggest there isn't another even more detailed stage of memory preceding it. Though I wouldn't be surprised if there's still some kind of compression or filtering (or just degradation) going on during those 4 seconds, which could definitely explain why you can recall more details if you heard them less than a second ago.